Car-truck



(N9 Model.)

GAR TRUCK.

No. 595,719. Patented Dec. 21, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT EETcE.

GEORGE W. LACY, 4OF KINGSTON, NEW YORK.

CAR-TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,719, dated December 21, 1897.

. Application filed January 26, 1897.. Serial No. 620,723. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, GEORGE W". LACY, of Kingston, in the county of Ulster and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Trucks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which* Figure lis a side elevation of the preferred form of my new truck. Figs. 2, 3, and 5 are sections at lines 2 2, 3 3, and 5' l5, respectively, of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a part of the truck end. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail on line 5 5 of Fig. l. Fig. 6 includes a top plan view of the compressionpiece in position for insertion between op posed vertical side walls and the recessed web of the truck end, the web being sectioned at lines 6 6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 7 '7 of Fig. 9. Fig. 8 is a sectional detail at line 8 8 of Fig. 9, which shows a side view of a modified form of my new car-truck.

The object of my invention is to produce a car-truck so far as possible without the use of riveted parts and rivets, so as to thereby make the trucks stronger and more durable under certain conditions than c artrucks heretofore devised.

My invention consists mainly in two principal features, the first being a solid truck end formed with a pocket to receive a portion of the bolsterplate-supporting device and with recesses to receive lugs on the compression-piece; secondly, in a one-piece side frame comprising truck ends and intermediate connecting-trusses which are integral with the truck ends.

Other features of my invention are pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawings, illustrating the best form of my invention now known to me, A are the truck ends, and B B suitable truss connections, which are preferably, but not necessarily, in the form of parallel bars, as shown. In this preferred form ofv my invention the truck ends and truss connections are integral, as shown.

Car-trucks are generally subjected to passenger loads of from six to nine tons and sustain and resist the strains of electric motors of from forty to fty horse power, and are also required to sustain the wear and tear arising from jolting'and the like, and to endure the corrosive action of rain, wind, and

snow, frequently with an addition of saltnections B B are transversely braced intermediately by a transverse brace D. Ordinarily a single brace located about midway of the frame will suffice; but supplementary braces D, which also serve as sleeves, may

be used, if desired.

The car load is sustained mainly, in general practice, at or near the ends of the frames, and the axles F. are fulcrums on which portions of the frame tend to move, the end portion of the frame corresponding to that portion .of the car which moves downwardly and becoming a long lever-arm, while a portion of the frame between the axles becomes a short lever-arm.V Consequently there is always a tendency, which is increased from time to time,'of the frame to crush or collapse by bending upwardly between the axles, due to the tendency of the shorter arm to move upwardly when the load is brought suddenly on the truck end. AThe truss-frame is made with sundry open spaces, as at E E, for the sake of lightness and flexibility of the frame, to relieve rail-joints and motors from hammering, and to make the car ride easier.

The truck ends A are formed with openings ct to accommodate the supporting device F of the bolster-plate F2, and is also formed on the under side of that member of the truck end which is above opening a with a pocket a to receive and keep in place the upper end of the supporting device F', which consists in this instance of a rod f, spring f', entered in pocket a', and a collar f2, fast on rod f to support and steady spring f. In this instance the rod f is screw-threaded and collar f2 is a split collar internally threaded, so as to be readily adjusted on rod f to increase or decrease the compression of spring f. The supporting device F', comprising, as above stated, the rod f, spring j", and the spring- IOO ICI

supporting collar f2 on rod f, is thus con tained in the opening ci of the truck end, and this location of these parts not only shelters them from accidents, but what is more important still, enables me to obtain opposed iiat bearingsurfaces over these, the bottom of the pocket a and the fiat upper surfaces of the collar f2. As the upper surfaces of the upper member of my new truck end are downwardly inclined I could not so cheaply obtain a flat bearing for the und er end of the spring f if I were to mount the spring between the bolster and the upper downwardly-inclined member of the truck end.

Truck end A is formed with a recess d2 to receive the axle-box G and usual u ppersprng g and lower spring g (in this instance formed of a block of elastic material) and to receive also the socket portion h of the compressionpiece H. This compression-piece may be of any suitable construction, but in this instance is provided with the socket portion h, transverse laterally-projecting lugs 7L', and lateral arms or wings h2, the latter being suitably secured to sides of the end pieces A, as by bolts h3. The front and rear walls of recess 0.2 are transversely recessed at a3 to re- 'ceive the lugs 7L' of the compression-piece- Vhen this compression-piece is in place, lugs h are in recesses co3. Downward strain on the compression-piece is resisted mainly by the flanges a4 of the end pieces A, although the bolts are occasionally subjected to some strain. Vhen vthe load is jolted or pounded and axle-springs g g compressed, the reaction causes the compression-piece I-I to tend to move upwardly and the bolts will be weakened and ultimately worn out and sheared oi unless they are relieved from these frequently-recurring upward strains. I accordingly enter the lugs h' in the recesses CL3, so that the bolts are relieved of these strains by the bottom walls of the recesses a3, against which the upper sides of the lugs 77, contact.

The upper truss connection Bis preferably formed near each end with an enlargement b, having a vertical opening through which a rod b slides. This rod enters a coincident recess in the lower member B and centers the helical spring b3, which is socketed in the spring-socket formed by the vertical opening through enlargement b. The important point in this connection is to provide the upper truss member with spring-sockets, because if any elliptical spring be substituted for the helical spring b3 at this point it should be supported in a recess on the upper face of the upper member B.

Owing to the comparatively limited space available or provided between the opposed converging iianged end pieces, integral connecting flanged truss members, transversely faces of the upper truss member and bolsterplate, I iind in practice that it is highly desirable to keep the upper member B as near the top of the truck as possible, and consequently the distance between the opposed surfaces of the bolster-plate and upper member B is necessarily limited. Lower member B is put as low as possible to give it greater eihciency in the resistance ofthe compression forces operating against it, especially when the ends of the car are pounded downwardly. The upper member B serves as the main tensile member of the frame, while lower mem- .ber B is always under compression, the ccmpression-pieces H completing the under sides of the truck ends and transferring the down- `ward strains to and through the under p0rupward heading of the intermediate portions.

When long cars are used, great difiiculty has been experienced in obtaining a truckframe which can be extended for the considerable distance required beyond the axles and yet be sufficiently strong to withstand the greatstrain to which they are subjected.

As my frame is not weakened by rivet-holes and the like, but is made in one piece and of great strength combined with great fiexibility by the transversely-braced truss connection, my new truck is very perfectly adapted, vfor use in connection with the longest cars now in use.

A spring member I, of any suitable form, is interposed between the outer ends of the truck ends A and the bolster-plate, the truck ends being inclined outwardly and downwardly on the upper side to admit thereof and being inclined, preferably, upward on' the lower side.

In Fig. 9, showing a modification, the truck ends are as already described, but instead of being integral with the connectingtrusses are bolted thereto, these separable trusses being transversely braced ata: m and fJ.

l. In a car-truck, a truck end formed with an opening to receive a journal-box and related parts, the lower portion of said opening having horizontal recesses or ways, in combination with a compression-piece formed with lateral wings and transverse horizontal lugs engaging said recesses or ways, substantially as specified.

2. An improved car-truck frame, having converging end pieces, integral connecting transversely-braced truss members, journalbox openings therein, having horizontal recesses or ways inthe lower portion thereof,

and compression-pieces formed with lateral wings and transverse horizontal lugs fitting said ways, substantially as specified.

3. An improved car-truck frame having braced, journal-box openings therein, open 1spaces between the inner sides of the truss members, and between the inner sides of the converging end pieces, horizontal ways in the lower portion of the said Journal-box` open- IIO ings, and compression-pieces having lugs fitting said ways, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of a bolster-plate, a.

truck-frame having converging flanged end pieces With integral connecting flanged truss members, transversely braced, journal-box openings having horizontal ways in the lower portion thereof, chambered enlargements in .the said openings for the reception of the axle-boxes, sockets in the end pieces for the reception of the bolster-plate su pports,spring receiving sockets with suitable springs between the bolster-plate and the upper connecting truss member, and compressionpieces with horizontal lugs fitting the corresponding ways in the lower portion of the journal-box openings, substantially as speci-V lied.

5. The improved car-truck frame, having converging flanged end pieces, springs mounted thereon, integral connecting flanged truss members, with connecting-braces and intervening open spaces, journal-box openings therein, with chambered enlargements at the upper ends thereof, for the reception of the axle-boxes, horizontal ways in the lower portion thereof, Winged compression-pieces in said openings, with horizontal lugs fitting said ways, and perforated spring-receiving sockets on the under side of the said end pieces, with collared rods attached to the bolster plate passing through said sockets, and springs seated in said sockets surrounding said rods, with a bearing against said collars, substantially as specified.

6. In a car-truck, the combination with suitable truck ends and connecting-bars of transverse tubular connecting members, the upper connecting member having a chambered enlargement with which the opening of the transverse tubular member communicates; a bolster-plate, springs socketed in said chambered enlargement; and a rod from the bolster-plate centering said spring and playing in the opening of said tubular member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 21st day of January, A. D. 1897.

GEORGE W. LACY.' 

